Process of knitting a full fashioned stocking



Sept. 25, '1934. K. R. LIEBERKNECHT TTING A FULL FASHIONED Filed April6, 1932 Weak INVENTOR I L v ATI'ORNEY Patented Sept. 25, 1%34 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF KNITTING A FULL FASHIONED STOCKINGApplication April 6, 1932, Serial'No. 603,466 In Germany September 19,1931 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a process of knitting full fashioned stockingsand in particular stockings having the French heel and foot and knit asa unit on a knitting machine.

5 My invention relates in particular to an im' proved method of knittingthe instep and sole portions of a stocking after the completion of theleg and heel tabs, whereby the use of welthook bars may be eliminatedand the proper to looping of the inside edges of the heel tabs to thefirst. course of 'the sole portions more effectively, conveniently andperfectly provided for.

In the production of stockings having the French heel and foot on a fiattype knitting machine in accordance with present methods, the leg andheel tabs are first knit. Thereafter, it is customary to temporarilydiscontinue knitting this part of the fabric and to begin a new startingcourse for the side sole portions of the foot. To accomplish this,draw-off or welt-hook bars have been used, the loops of the new startingcourse being formed on such bars.

- In view of the fact that the side-sole portions of the foot must belooped eventually to the heel tabs, insurance against ravelling of thestarting course of the side-sole portions should be provided for. Tothis end, instead of starting the foot by knitting a full width courseas the first course of the foot proper, I first knit several ravellingcourses corresponding in length and position to the side-sole portionsand then, having brought the portion of fabric intermediate the heeltabs back into knitting position, 1 commence knitting full widthside-sole and foot courses and continue in the usual way until thestocking length is completed.

I am able to knit the ravelling courses referred to above without theuse of welt hook bars, which would naturally be employed by those havingknowledge of the present development of the art, or other auxiliaryapparatus by utilizing for the process the type of knitting machinewhich forms the. subject matter of my copending application Serial No.567,262, filed October 6, 1931, and thereby an objectionable and costlrg, step in the process of knitting is eliminated.

In order that my invention may be understoc; I have illustrated it inthe accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of the stockingblank after the leg and heel tabs have been completed and the footportion begun, the leg and instep portions being shown as separated tomake the steps of the process clearer;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a knitting machine made inaccordance with the invention of my copending application referred toabove;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same machine at another point in' theknitting operation;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of the same machine toillustrate a still further step in the knitting operation; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the stocking blank as actually knit asdistinguished from Fig. 1. It will be noted from Figs. 2 to 4 that theknockover bits 1 of the knitting machine of my copending applicationreferred to vary from the usual form of knockover bits in that theyareprovided. with not only the usual curved bridge 2, but a second similarbridge 4 in between which is a book 5. As will be understood from mycopending application, knitting is commenced upon this machine by layingthe yarn for the first course in the usual manner between the needlesand the noses 6 of thesinkers. Movement of the sinkers then forms theyarn into loops about the needles, as shown in Fig. 2. The needles arethen lowered and engage with the loops and the sinker nibs are thenwithdrawn from beneath the loops in the usual way. At this time, theknockover bits are so placed that as the loops fall from the sinker nibsthey are received upon the curved bridges 2 of the knockover bits andmove downward into the throats 8 of the knockover bits directly in frontof the hooks 5. After the next course is laid down and the loopsformed-by the sinkers around the needles, the knockover bits have beenmoved forward to the position shown in Fig. 3. The first course knit,since it is held in the throats 8 by hooks 5, also moves forward andwhen the succeeding course is dropped upon the knockover bits it isreceived upon bridges 4 behind the hooks and moves downward into throats9 behind this bridge. The loops of the first and second courses willthen be positioned as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The knitting ofsucceeding courses is carried out in a similar manner. In this way theuse of welt-hook bars is elimir ated. The initial loops knit in this wayare easily unravelled so that it is possible to knit a loose courseseveral courses after the initial course to assist in looping the fabricto another piece of fabric and by then unravelling the surplus coursesto obtain a very clear looped seam. Applying this general manner ofknitting to my present invention, after theleg portion 10 and heel tabs11 are knit the heel tabs 11 are pressed ofi and the middle section 12of the needle bar rendered temporarily inoperative so that no for thissince the construction of the knockover bits renders them unnecessary,the starting course being carried by the knockover bits, as abovedescribed.

After the ravelling courses of the side sole sections have been knit andthe line A-A reached, the middle section 12 is again brought back intoknitting position and knitting continued across the full width 0! thestocking toot, an additional thread carrier which traverses the entirewidth of the foot being brought into action for the purpose. The threadcarriers for the side sole portions continue to function as reinforcingthread carriers for the sole portions.

In this way, the instep is knit of the same yarn as the leg portion andupon the same machine. Ravelling courses are provided upon the side soleportions to protect the starting courses 01' these portions againstpremature unravelling. All of this is accomplished without the use ofwelt-hook bars or other attachments. and as a result much time and laboris saved.

I claim: v

The method of making a stocking, having a French heel and sole, on asingle unit full fashioned knitting machine which is provided with banksat knitting needles and hooked knockover bits, said method consisting ofknitting a fashioned leg blank portion down to a point adjacent to theinstep of the stocking; then suspending the knitting oi the centralportion of the leg blank and causing the needles which have knitted saidcentral portion to be moved out of operative position with the lastformed loops of the central portion retained thereon; then knitting theheel tabs oi the stocking blank with the needles remaining in operation;then casting oil said heel tabs; then knitting a starting or ravellingcourse for the sole portions 0! the stocking with the needies still inoperation and causing the loops of said course to be held by the hookson said knockover bits; then knitting further ravelling courses withsaid needles and causing the loops thereof to be knocked oflf on theback -of the hooks of the knockover bits; then bringing said inoperativeneedles into operative position again and knitting with the full bank ofneedles the foot blank 0! the stocking including the side sole piecesand instep portion; the first course of said instepfp rtion beinginterknitted to the last course of the central portion of the leg blankbetween the heel tabs; and finally uniting the selvages of the stockingblank with the usual back seam and interlooping the inside-edges of theheel tabs to the sole portions.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

